


The Beginning

by TheArchaeologist



Series: Little Boys Blue [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Child Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It/Its Pronouns Used, Kid Connor, Kid Fic, Swearing, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-05 15:38:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17921627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArchaeologist/pseuds/TheArchaeologist
Summary: They first meet at the DPD one hour before the press conference where CyberLife gets to show off their new toys.The RK900, 'Nines', is the detective android. Specially designed to investigate and interrogate, it will be joining the ranks to assist with assignments, starting with the rising deviancy epidemic.The RK800, 'Connor', has a very different purpose.





	1. Chapter 1

The first time they meet, it is just before the press conference.

Connor and Doctor Pierce had not long arrived at the Detroit City Police Department, the surprisingly light traffic meaning they were a full hour early.

An Officer Miller had greeted them.

“Sorry Captain Fowler’s not here yet.” He apologised, leading them towards the break room. “He had to make a pick up on the way here. We weren’t expecting you until half-past.”

“That was the plan.” Doctor Pierce shrugs easily, faffing with the collar of his suit shirt. “But you know Detroit, either you are getting somewhere or you’re not. I’d rather be early than late any day.”

“I’ll second that. Coffee?”

The break room wasn’t anything particularly interesting. Plain, functional, and slightly reminiscent of the break room on his floor in the CyberLife Tower, with the varying shades of grey and the high tables. The coffee dispenser hummed with the tell-tale noises of an object well worked, and the vending machine had three different candy packets stuck halfway between the plastic window and metal coils.

It was dull, Connor’s Integration Mode told him. He was finding the room dull.

Two people were already standing in the room, one holding a mug.

Doctor Pierce’s face brightens. “Fred!”

“Hey Ben.” Depositing his drink to one side the man approaches, clasping Doctor Pierce’s hand and shaking it well. “All good?”

Working on ingrained instinct Connor’s facial recognition programmes kick into gear, registering the man as Professor Frederick Williams, fifty-eight, originally from Ohio. 

“Yeah, great.” Doctor Pierce nods, and then chuckles. “For someone in a monkey suit, at least. You?”

The conversation quickly falls into light-hearted quips and polite exchanges, Officer Miller excusing himself to see to his other business. Connor watches him leave, his Integration Mode pushing his body to mimic innocent curiosity, before turning his attention to the other person standing a few paces behind the Professor.

He jumps when finds the android watching him.

It approaches, sharp blue eyes moving in a way that suggests it is gathering information on Connor.

So he does the same back. “RK900.” He states clearly, tilting his head to one side. “You’re the other android joining the DPD, the detective one.”

“Yes. And you are the RK800.” The android says, its voice neutral, as if reciting the weather. “My memory files indicate that I was to be one of two joining the team, however I did not realise that the other model would be in this…Condition.”

“I’m a prototype.”

“So am I.”

The Integration Mode whirls within the back of his processor, sparking the innocent curiosity to be triggered again. Prompted by the nudge, Connor makes a point of staring up, having to slightly crane his neck. “You’re tall.”

The statement appears to catch the RK900 off-guard, blinking down at him. “I am six foot two inches. It would be impractical for my mission for me to be small in structure.”

“Oh.” He allows his shoulders to fall in an echo of a deflated motion. “I’m four foot exactly.”

“Again, that is relevant to your mission, is it not?” Connor allows himself to giggle, causing the RK900 to frown lightly. “I can sense you have a specialised social system within your programming, allowing for a closer connection with humans. However, I don’t see the reasoning behind such systems being online now, outside of you intended usage.”

“Doctor Pierce wanted to keep them on for the press conference, in case we get cornered by the press.”

“I see.”

It is at that moment two men walk into the precinct. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say _one_ man walked into the precinct. The other is dragged, quite unprofessionally, along by the shoulder, tripping over his own feet and looking like he would love to be anywhere but here.

Their argument echoes across the room, catching the interests of many.

“For fuck’s sake, Jeffrey!”

“I don’t want to hear it!”

“I would’ve been on ti-”

“You were in bed!”

Connor’s LED flickers yellow as he scans their faces, marking a Captain Jeffrey Fowler and Lieutenant Hank Anderson. Out of the corner of his eye he can see RK900 doing the same.

“I guess that’s what Officer Miller meant when he said the Captain had to pick something up.” He comments to the android, fingers absently going to play with the button on the cuff of his pressed shirt.

“It would seem.”

The paused conversations of the precinct quickly return to normal, eyes deliberately diverting and amused grins smothered away under hands, but Connor keeps his gaze on the two men as they continue their heated words inside a glass-walled room, starting up the Captain’s own private coffee machine as they do.

By now Doctor Pierce and the Professor have wandered over to one of the tables, leaning against it as they remain deeply invested in what they are discussing, perfectly happy to leave their androids standing by the entrance of the break room.

Lieutenant Anderson takes up a mug of coffee, but that appears to upset Captain Fowler for some reason. The words are muffled, but Connor is provided with a fully upgraded lip-reading system that picks out the words ‘milk’ and ‘unhealthy.’ 

The Lieutenant nods once, looks contemplative, and then takes a long swig while holding up a middle finger.

The Integration Mode understands this as a situation where the presence of a swear would be considered amusing, and he snickers scandalously to himself.

Turning in clear frustration, Fowler’s face twists when he spots the Doctor and Professor through the glass, saying something low to Lieutenant Anderson before they both exit the room and start towards them.

Doctor Pierce notices and smiles, holding out a hand. “Captain Fowler.”

“Doctor Pierce.” Taking it, they shake and exchange pleasantries, before the Captain does the same for the Processor.  
“It appears the traffic caught us both off-guard!” Professor Williams laughs, briefly eyeing Lieutenant Anderson before commenting. “But it gives us time to prepare.”

Captain Fowler nods. “Exactly what I was going to say. Please, won’t you come to my office? You can leave the androids here.” Letting the two walk ahead of him, Captain Fowler quickly hisses to the Lieutenant, “Don’t you _dare_ think about leaving.”

The Lieutenant sneers bitterly. “Get off my ass!”

The Integration Mode elects not to laugh at the vulgarity this time. RK900 slips its hands behind its back, narrowing its gaze at the Lieutenant.

With an irritated huff the Captain leaves, and the Lieutenant sucks in a deep breath, bringing the cup to his lips and downing the last of it on one gulp. Heavily bagged blue eyes latch onto the two of them, lingering on Connor in an expression that could be considered dangerous.

“Please fucking tell me you’re not the androids Jeffrey’s taking on.”

“We are.” The RK900 nods. “My name is Nines, I shall be-”

“Jesus Christ.” Marching passed them, the Lieutenant makes a beeline for the coffee dispenser, muttering darkly to himself.

Nines steps after him. “Lieutenant, if you really consume so much caffeine at once, might I suggest adding milk-”

“I don’t give a shit what you _might suggest_ ,” The man glares over his shoulder, foot tapping as he waits for his mug to fill. “Fuck off, leave me alone. You and tiny Tim.”

Connor blinks at this, Integration Mode clicking on mild offense. “My name is Connor.”

“Fucking-A.”

Instinct takes over his mouth. “You shouldn’t say stuff like that, it’s rude. Aren’t Lieutenant’s supposed to be smart? You don’t swear around children.”

Immediately stiffening, Lieutenant Anderson shoots him a hard, threatening look that is enough to make Connor instantly shrink back, all confidence evaporating as the Integration Mode responds by curling what would be fear in his biocomponents. 

“The fuck did you say to me?”

Mouth dry, Connor stammers a handful of incoherent sounds before a hand tugs him into standing straight.

“Please excuse Connor, Lieutenant Anderson.” Nines says calmly, fingers digging into the panel covering Connor’s shoulder. “He currently has a complex social integration system online. Doctor Pierce wanted to show this off to the reporters. Unfortunately, this means that, like a real child, it enables him with the ability to talk back.” With a sharp jerk that makes Connor jolt and the Mode push him into struggling, Nines adds sternly, “Apologise, Connor.”

When it becomes clear that Nines is _not_ going to let go, Connor slumps, eyes on the ground. The ideal image of a disciplined child. “I’m sorry, Sir.”

Releasing him, Nines takes a step back, allowing Connor to rub dejectedly at his shoulder. When he briefly catches Lieutenant Anderson’s gaze, he’s still staring.

The mutter is so quiet that Connor barely catches it. “Jesus wept.” Lieutenant Anderson’s face vanishes into his hands, his palms digging deep into his eyes as he takes a large breath. “Jesus fucking wept, what is this shit?”

The coffee dispenser pings, beeping happily as it completes its job.

Connor shuffles on his feet. Nines stands perfectly still. 

Lieutenant Anderson slowly reaches for his mug, watching the steam blankly, distantly, the moment stretching out long and thin.

When he does speak again, Connor jumps.

“You, stay outta my way.” The Lieutenant jabs a finger at him, something deep marring his otherwise heavily controlled tone. “Don’t talk to me, don’t even look at me, got it?”

Connor nods rapidly. “Yes, Sir.”

With a snort that displays an emotion Connor cannot identify, the Lieutenant rapidly retreats across the precinct towards a desk lined with empty boxes and stickers. 

“RK800, we shall review this with Amanda when the press conference has concluded.”

“Of course.”

His fingers play with his cuff button for the rest of the wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sets off a party popper* And it begins...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lights, cameras, action!

The flashing lights are enough to dazzle, however RK900s optical units are state of the art and easily adjust to avoid damage to the sensitive technology.

Professor Williams laughs, the tone registering as relieved, as he concludes answering the final questions from the reporters. They had expected more and had rehearsed for a far wider range of topics, but the presence of the RK800 on stage beside it is enough to draw most of the attention.

RK900 had been…Intrigued with the other half of its pair.

It had been informed since its beta testing that it was one of two that would be joining the Detroit City Police Department. It had known what the RK800s job was going to be, however it was unprepared for the appearance of the model. 

Doctor Pierce takes the microphone from Professor Williams, giving him a congratulatory pat on the back as they pass.  
The RK800 shifts on his feet as the attention of the room fully turns to him.

“Good morning, everyone.” Doctor Pierce begins. “Just to say the time of this event wasn’t my idea, I’m as tired as you.”

Light chuckles echo around the conference room, and a few more cameras click. The RK800 blinks rapidly as they do. Clearly, he was not designed with the same technology as RK900. It watches him out of the corner of its eye.

“I’m the head technician who has been in charge of creating Connor, our RK800.” Continuing his practiced talk, Doctor Pierce indicates for the RK800 to step forward. “Connor began as an idea following the Wilson case in 2036, and before production began, we consulted a number of child phycologists and behavioural experts to create a model perfectly capable of reading and understanding the body language and minds of children.”

Absently RK900 runs a search for the Wilson case. Having already been connected to the DPD’s main network, it quickly locates several files on an incident involving a murder of a Mrs Janet Wilson at the school where she taught. No CCTV caught the attack, and no one saw the perpetrator enter or leave the site. 

There was, however, one witness, found hiding in the storage closet.

Amy Carol Jackson was seven years old at the time, and since that day no one has been able to coax a word out of her. It is speculated that the teacher had told her to be quiet to avoid detection, but the result is a girl who refuses to discuss, write, or even draw down any information on what happened.

Another search finds her recently discharged from a specialist children’s hospital, having undergone extensive therapy.

“Connor is fully equipped with an intricate Integration Mode that gives him the appearance and voice of a living child, however he has also been fully utilised with facial recognition technology, a complete understanding of the law, and access to the DPD network.” Doctor Pierce explains, a hand on RK800s shoulder.

From his position further back on the stage RK900 can see the way RK800s hands, folded behind his back, tap together is a mime of nervous energy. 

“We have additionally allowed the android to use ‘he’ and ‘him’ pronouns, and highly recommend that those working with Connor to do the same. We do not want children seeing Connor as another tool that cannot be trusted, but something they can connect and talk to.” Doctor Pierce lets go of the RK800, allowing him to step back in line with RK900. “Think of it as a child being encouraged to name a cuddly toy, and then speak to it. This is what we want with Connor, only Connor has the ability to interpret and pass on this information to the authorities.”

A round of humming circles the room, and Doctor Pierce smiles, encouraged. 

RK800’s LED briefly flashes yellow.

“Any questions?”

Hands immediately shoot into the air, far more eager than what they had for the RK900. It doesn’t miss the put-out expression that crosses Professor Williams’ face.

“Yes, you Sir?”

“Hi, Julian Harris, Channel Eight,” A man with balding hair introduces, holding a brightly coloured microphone. “I was wondering how you tested, uh, him? Is it ethical to use our children as experiments for machines?”

“No children were forced into the presence of Connor.” Doctor Pierce sooths easily, holding out a peaceful hand. “Much like the KL900s, who work with trauma victims, and the PH500s, who work as teachers, Connor was slowly introduced and allowed to mix with children in a safe and controlled environment. All introductions were observed, and all the children were given the ability to leave at any time. Next? Yes?”

A woman with blond hair stands. “Hi, Ann Withers, _Detroit Gazette_. I was wondering if you plan to create more Connors, or if this will be a unique model to Detroit?”

“At the moment Connor is completely unique.” The flooring of the stage squeaks as Doctor Pierce moves about. “We will be gathering data from Connor as he works with the DPD to discuss how we wish to move forward. If we believe the project a success, then we shall see. At this moment I’m not at full liberty to say.”

The RK800 glances up at RK900 in a quick, jerky movement, before mirroring RK900s stance by letting its hands fall to his side. 

Another woman stands. “Marie Harris, News Today. How will CyberLife and the DPD ensure the privacy of children and parents during their time of vulnerability?”

“In the same way all mainstream androids are carefully designed and monitored to ensure full privacy, Connor, and Nines, are fully equipped with protective systems to eliminate the chances of hacking or leakage.” Doctor Pierce switches the microphone to his other hand. “We have also installed specialist software that will monitor and report back to CyberLife in the event of any risks. As for the androids, they will only hold data relevant to their current cases.”

And so, the questions continue, dragging out for thirty-three minutes before Doctor Pierce is forced to bring them to a close, allowing Captain Fowler to end the conference. The Captain is not even halfway through his list of thanks before Lieutenant Anderson is shoving his way through the crowd towards the door, tugging off the tie he was forced to wear.

Beside it the RK800 yawns, the attempt to cover the movement with his hand failing to be discreet as the smaller model sways slightly. 

As a final round of clapping finishes and people stand to gather their things, Doctor Pierce and Professor Williams wander over, the Professor holding a plastic cup of water in one hand.

Doctor Pierce eyes the RK800 over. “Connor, disable Integration Mode.”

“Yes, Sir.” A stuttered blink and the swaying stops. “It is done.”

“Good. You and Nines head to Captain Fowler’s office. Fred and I need to mingle for a while.”

“Of course.”

“Yes, Sir.”

RK900 takes the lead in navigating out the room, carefully avoiding reporters and curious staff as it and RK800 cross the precinct and enter the office, making sure to hold the door open long enough for the RK800 to slip inside. It has already calculated the weight and strength of the android and knows the door would be a struggle for him.

“Doctor Pierce and the Professor seemed pleased.” The RK800 comments as he stands in the centre of the room, slowly turning in a circle. 

“Yes, though I believe Professor Williams was disappointed by the number of questions he received.” Taking up a spot against the wall, feet slightly apart and hands behind its back, RK900 adds, “It is likely that everyone will be a while. We should use this time to report to Amanda.”

RK800 halts its slow tour of the room, staring up at RK900 with a blinking yellow LED before nodding once, joining it by the wall and closing his eyes. His shoulders loosen as his body falls into the standard resting mode.

It takes mere moments for RK900 to follow suit. 

The garden has remained unchanged since the last time it visited, taking on a fresh springtime appearance completed with blooming buds and the buzz of numerous dragonflies over the calm waters. An artificial breeze wafts through the space, catching RK900s hair as it starts forward, easily locating Amanda on the island.

She tends to her roses, spraying them carefully with water and removing any struggling flower. Her shawl hangs delicately off her shoulder, just brushing the swept stone path as she moves. 

RK800 comes running over the bridge, his shoes thumping loudly as he stumbles up beside RK900 and quickly copies its straight-backed position.

On all previous visits, RK900 had been alone.

Amanda finally turns, smiling at them. “Hello, boys. How did the conference go?”

RK900 returns the expression. “There was a lot of interest, and Professor Williams and Doctor Pierce handled the questions with ease. I believe this will reflect well on CyberLife.”

She hums, returning to her plants. “It is very important to us that CyberLife remains positive in the public eye. We are at a key stage of our development, and politicians are beginning to debate a cap on the number of androids per business. Positive feedback from the DPD could prove vital for such votes to go in our favour.” Picking up her spray, she delicately doses each rose with shiny droplets. “Tell me, how were your interactions with the department staff?”

RK800 remains motionless, eyes following shawl as it dances with Amanda’s movements. RK900 takes this as its cue to answer. 

“Officer Miller was-”

“Thank you, Nines, but I would like Connor to answer.”

Gaze snapping up to the back of her head, RK800 stiffens, “There was an…Incident, with Lieutenant Anderson.”

Amanda starts snipping at some wilting leaves, dropping them to the floor where they dissolve into a mass of fragmented pixels. When she speaks, her tone is light, non-judgemental. “What kind of incident?”

“With my Integration Mode online, I was less able to have full control of my behaviour.” RK800 explains, fingers reaching out to play with the button on his cuff. When he catches RK900 watching he rapidly stops. “Lieutenant Anderson appears to have a deeply developed hatred for androids, which made him hostile to our presence. Unfortunately, I said something which only angered him more.”

Setting her gardening sheers to one side, Amanda fixes RK800 with an unreadable look. “And what happened when you made this remark?”

RK800 is struggling to maintain eye contact. “I…Nines stepped in and defused the situation. I apologised.”

“I see.” Hands held across her front, Amanda slowly walks towards RK800, her shoes clicking on the stone. Her fingers reach out, gently brushing under RK800s chin as she bends to his level. “Such behaviour is unacceptable, Connor. Integration Mode or no, you cannot mar CyberLife’s reputation by acting out. You are a machine, one with a highly developed emotional programme, yes, but still a machine. I expect far better from you in the future.”

Ducking his head, RK800 gently nods. “Yes, Amanda.”

“Good.” Straightening, she fixes RK900 with a pleasant smile. “Nines, you have been given full permission to command Connor in regard to his Integration Mode, I expect you to control his behaviour.”

“Of course, Amanda.”

“Excellent.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's absolutely no reason for anyone to be concerned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Detective Gavin Reed is not having a good day.

Later that afternoon, Nines is assigned a partner.

“Wait, what?” Face instantly falling into one of sheer horror, Detective Gavin Reed rounds on Captain Fowler. The coffee in his hand spills over the paper cup, leaking hot liquid between his fingers. Detective Reed doesn’t appear to notice. “You can’t be serious. Tell me you aren’t serious.”

The Captain makes a low noise, causing Connor to peek up through the corner of his eye. Captain Fowler’s face is stern, no-nonsense. He had been expecting this. “Reed, you will do your goddamn job, no matter who or what you work with. If I have to put up with your whining, or moping, or _temperament_ , you’ll be off the case altogether. Am I clear?”

“You can’t do that, I’m onto something!” Coffee now dumped on his desk, Detective Reed surges forward, fists clenched. Connor’s self-preservation systems activate, and he takes a calculated step back, his elbow brushing against Nines. “These cases, the androids-”

“Like _hell_ I can do that!” Captain Fowler counters, loud enough to cause both Connor and Nines to glance at him, LEDs whirling yellow. “Do your job or hang up your badge. I won’t listen to another thing on the matter. Understood?”

Detective Reed stands there, caught between furious and flummoxed. “Understood.” He growls through locked jaws.

“Good.” Turning, Captain Fowler points towards Connor. “You go stand in the charging station until you’re needed. Nines, catch up on Reed’s work and continue the investigation.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Of course.”

“Yes Sir, _of course_ ,” Detective Reed mocks as Captain Fowler returns to his office. “Jesus fuck, why the hell am I stuck with these things? They’re taking enough of our jobs as it is.”

“Technically, you are only stuck with me, Detective.” Nines comments smoothly, inclining its head. “Connor is not under your jurisdiction.”

Detective Reed scoffs. “Boy fucking Wonder over here? He looks like some pale dead kid from a bad horror flick.” An expression crosses his face, one that Connor’s sensors find difficult to place. Glee, perhaps? “Hey Anderson! Did you lose a kid over here?” He points exaggeratedly at Connor.

Frowning at the comment, Connor peers over his shoulder to catch the tail end of a murderous glare from the Lieutenant, which he then covers with a snarl.

Officer Miller and another, Officer Tina Chen, according to his facial recognition scan, stand, glancing between them.

Nines straightens, eyes flicking from one person to another, before actively standing in front of Reed, blocking the Lieutenant’s view. “Detective, shall we go over your files? We are wasting valuable time which could hinder the investigation.”

Despite having his Integration Mode offline, Connor still flinches when he spots Lieutenant Anderson’s gaze fixed firmly on him, brows low and eyes hard. Even from the other side of the room Connor can see him grinding his teeth.

“You ain’t the boss of me.” The Detective spits, stepping into Nines’ space. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on which way you look at it, Nines is nearly a head taller, forcing him to strain his neck up. “I’m the human, you’re the android. Human, machine. I give the orders.”

“I have been assigned this case, Detective.” Nines states coolly, jaw fixed. “I don’t intend to wait until _you_ feel like working.”

“Ok!” Sweeping in between the two like a sudden burst of a bubble, Officer Chen loops her arm around Detective Reed and actively drags him away. “What do you say to another coffee? Dunno about you but I need one!”

“Hey- Wait-” The Detective stutters, struggling to catch his footing. “Tina!”

Nines remains silent, watching them retreat into the breakroom.

Connor slips his hands behind his back. “This seems detrimental to the case. Perhaps you can convince Captain Fowler to change your partner?”

LED yellow, Nines’ intense gaze snaps to Connor, making him promptly close his mouth. Nines huffs. “I am the most advance prototype CyberLife has ever created. While I don’t contain the emotional level you require, I have a complex and intricate socialisation system that gives me full adaptability to human behaviour. To back out now and request a new partner would be a slap in the face to my technicians.” It pauses, and then after a moment adds, “Plus, the only other person available for the case is Lieutenant Anderson, and I doubt he would be much better.”

In sync they both glance over to the Lieutenant’s desk, but it is now empty. 

“I see your point.”

Nines nods once, and then frowns. “You were given an order. Go stand in the charging station.”

Connor brings his hands to his side. “Yes, of course. I wish you luck with the investigation.”

“I shall not need luck.”

Ignoring the comment, Connor turns away, walking across the room to the charging station, where a line of PC200s and PM700s stand in their resting positions, their eyes closed and LEDs a calm blue. Glancing up and down, Connor locates an empty spot and steps onto the small platform.

He blinks when he realises Officer Miller is watching him. “Yes?”

“O-Oh, sorry.” Immediately embarrassed, Officer Miller starts faffing about with items on his desk. “Please, continue whatever-”

“If you have a question for me, Officer, then I would be happy to answer.”

Officer Miller seems conflicted for a moment, chewing the corner of his lip. “It’s just…I have kids.” Connor smiles politely but does not say anything to this. At the silence Officer Miller continues hesitantly, “They’re not quite your age, or, uh, the age you _would_ be. How old are you again?”

“My design, or since activation?”

Settling on fiddling with the clicker of a pen, Officer Miller shrugs. “Both?”

“My appearance, and behaviour when appropriate, was designed to mimic that roughly of an eight-year-old. However, I was activated fully three months ago.”

“Activated fully?” Frowning, the rapid tune of the clicking pen slows as Officer Miller pays more attention. “What does that mean?”

“I went through several models during production.” Absently Connor tunes himself into the wireless charge of the platform, relaxing into the replenishing energy. He notes he will need to refill on thirium within the few hours. “This is normal for prototypes. It helps to work out bugs and glitches in the programme, and for me allowed a lot of fine tuning when working with children.”

“I see…” For a moment Connor believes this to be the end of discussion, the pause dragging out for a long moment, but then Officer Miller speaks up again. “You’re, um, not going to stand there, are you?”

Connor tilts his head. “Do you have an issue with me using the charging station?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just…” He rubs the back of his neck. “It’s kinda creepy, turning around and bam! There’s a child right behind you. It’s like something out of a horror film.”

“That is the second time I have heard that today.” Connor muses, brows furrowed. “My appearance was specifically designed to help with my integration. What is it in particular you find distressing?”

“You’re so damn pale, for one thing.” Officer Miller starts immediately, as if an entire list had been building since the conversation begun. “To be honest, I thought your skin was glitching the first time I saw you.”

“I can assure you that is not the case. Is there anything else?”

“You’re, like, perfect horror film child height. So, if we stood next to each other, you’re the right size that I could look around and if I didn’t look down, I’d miss you and then jump out of my skin when you say something. Does that make sense?”

“I…” His LED glows yellow as he tries to pick apart the sentence. “I believe so. Would you be willing for me to send this feedback to CyberLife? They are very keen on taking on all criticism from the DPD.”

Officer Miller shrugs. “Yeah, sure. Oh, another question.”

“Please fire away.” By this point Connor doubts he would be able to stop it.

“Do we really have to call you ‘he’?”

Nodding, Connor clasps his hands together at his front. “Yes, even when we are not around children. This will help make it a habit. For children to truly relate to me, it is vital they do not see me as a thing to be ignored.” His fingers flick against his cuff button for half a second before forcefully stopping. “See it like this, if a reporter captured footage of us talking right now, including you referring to me as an ‘it’, and broadcast the film all over the world, how many children would see this? How many children would then know I am nothing more that another tool to try and pry information out of them?”

“Jesus…” The Officer runs a hand over his face. “Assumption that someone is always watching. Weird.”

Across the room, Detective Reed emerges from the breakroom, muttering lowly at Nines who has taken a seat at the desk opposite the Detective. Nines says something equally low in return, making him sneer, but he sits down and starts tapping at the keyboard. Officer Chen rolls her eyes exaggeratedly in the direction of Officer Miller, and then heads off to the evidence room.

Chuckling, Officer Miller mutters quietly to Connor. “Don’t mind Gavin, he’s all talk with minimal bite. As long as you try to avoid _really_ pissing him off, you should be fine.” He them stammers, glancing nervously at Connor. “Am I allowed to swear around you?”

Connor smiles, “There is no need to worry about censorship, I am perfectly fine. Also, I believe I have heard worse from Lieutenant Anderson.”

“Ah. _Ah_. That might explain that particularly hard glare he was giving you earlier.” Wheeling his desk chair closer to Connor, Officer Miller whispers. “Try and be careful around Hank. He lost his son three years ago. Cole, six-years-old, car accident. I had to visit the scene.” He purses his lips, shaking his head. “I never saw Cole, apart from the odd photograph or two a couple of years before, but you have a bit of a resemblance, if memory serves correct.”

Slowly, Connor’s eyes scan over the rest of the precinct, but Lieutenant Anderson is still nowhere to be seen. “I see. I was not aware. Thank you, I shall keep this in mind for the rest of our interactions. It was not my intention to cause distress.”

Officer Miller waves a hand. “Nah, not your fault. It wasn’t on purpose.” He pauses, wrinkling his nose. “At least, I hope it wasn’t.”

“If it is of any comfort, I hope it was not as well. In likelihood my designers researched appearances that children would be receptive to.”

Rolling back to his desk, Officer Miller rests his elbow on the side, head on his fist. “Perhaps that’s why you’re so pale, it makes you look kinda sickly and weak. Maybe if you look vulnerable, kids think you’re in the same boat.”

“There is a chance that is the case.”

Office Miller works his bottom jaw, thinking. “You know what? That’s also terrible. That’s a horrible image. Let’s stop talking about it. You do your…Charging thing.”

“Do you still have issues with me standing behind you?” Connor lets his hands fall to his side. “If you want, I can relocate.”

“Uh, nah, don’t worry about it. I think talking to you helped, a bit.”

Connor pushes his weight until he is hovering on his toes, ready to move. “Are you sure? I am perfectly capable-”

“It’s fine Connor, really.” Officer Miller says, lips forming a pleasant smile. “I don’t mind.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

Just as he is falling into standby, Connor spies Lieutenant Anderson reappearing in the precinct, settling into his desk chair. He pauses, his hands on his keyboard, before briefly running a finger along the edge of a wilting potted plant. His gazesnap up, meeting Connor’s, and with a curl of his lip. returns to his work.

Connor frowns, but settles into standby, closing his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The stage is set, the pawns have been placed, it's time to get this ball rolling!
> 
> This is the last of this particular story, so don't forget to subscribe to the series~
> 
>  
> 
> *Side note: I changed the title of this fic because I wasn't happy with it


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